Hardiman worked with Lakeshore Services Inc., a growing minority-owned environmental engineering firm. The company now employes 600 to 700 workers includes a nonprofit, real estate holding company and owns a senior nursing home.

Hardiman was called to testify on the 22nd day of testimony in the public corruption trial for ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick; Kilpatrick's father, Bernard Kilpatrick; Kilpatrick's longtime friend and a city contractor, Bobby Ferguson; and former Water and Sewerage Director Victor Mercado.

The future was looking bright for the firm in 2003.

It had been awarded two contracts worth $15 million. That equated to about $750,000 in profit for the company.

Hardiman said he did everything right to get the work rolling — or at least he though he had.

Everything was in order, the team was ready and Lakeshore was just waiting for the official go-ahead from the water department.

Hardiman had a visitor.

Bobby Ferguson and members of his defense team and others leave the Theodore Levin United States courthouse after a federal jury declared a mistrial on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 in Detroit. Ferguson was on trial on accusations he participated in a scheme to rig bids on a housing project to benefit his business. Judge David Lawson acted Tuesday after jurors reported they were deadlocked after seven days of deliberations. The government said it would seek a retrial for Ferguson and five co-defendants. (AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Brian Kaufman)AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Brian Kaufman

"Mr. Ferguson came by my house and he was saying that, you know, he should be part of the contract, by him being a black guy," Hardiman said. "I'm saying, you know, we’re full; we have out team together.

"He said it still has to go through the mayors desk."

Hardiman said he went back to his boss, Avinash Rachmale, the owner of Lakeshore, asked if there was enough work in the contract to offers some to Ferguson.

Rachmale said they could subcontract 10 to 12 percent to Ferguson.

Hardiman offered the work to Ferguson, he said.

"OK, we'll see," was the response. That was it, Hardiman said.

Hardiman said Ferguson's prior statement that the contract had to "go through the mayor's desk" didn't cause him any pause. After all, he was friends with the mayor.

He'd met the mayor in the 1980s when he became friends with Kwame Kilpatrick's mother, then-State Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick. Kwame Kilpatrick was in college at the time.

Later, Hardiman said he and Lakeshore supported Kwame Kilpatrick's bid to become mayor. They had fundraisers. Hardiman even joined Kilpatrick's mayoral blight and demolition transition committee.

He had no worries; or so he thought.

But the work order never came through. Kwame Kilpatrick wouldn't return his calls; Victor Mercado, the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department director at the time wouldn't call back either.

So Hardiman went to Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, hoping she could help.

She returned to Hardiman after speaking with her son.

"What did she say?" asked U.S. Attorney Mark Chutkow.

“My best recollection, because this had been several years… it was surmised this way: Mom, I love you. I handle the city business and you handle the government business."

Soon after, Lakeshore received notices that both contracts had been cancelled.

I was "stunned, disappointed, angry, concerned," Hardiman said.

The work was reissued, this time to a company that had Ferguson Enterprises listed as a subcontractor, a "member of the team."